Not Applicable.
1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of prefabricated wall panels and more particularly to unique panels that include an interior skin profile that provides, through composite action, unique structural capabilities, so as to replace individual structural, insulative and finish elements in a wall. Even more particularly this invention relates to a prefabricated structural panel with a highly insulative foam core bonded to an interior skin of deep ribbed sheet metal with specific characteristics that replace individual structural studs used in conventional construction while also eliminating the undesirable thermal bridging such conventional studs provide and an outer skin or exterior skin which resists impact and contributes to support of live loads.
2. Background of the Invention
The rising cost of labor, equipment and materials has made building construction increasingly more expensive. In addition, the cost of heating and cooling a building has increased substantially over recent years. Due to increased building costs and advances in technology, building owners also have increased expectations for the durability of buildings. In an effort to reduce expensive on-site labor costs the construction industry has increasingly relied on the prefabrication of many components away from the construction site. By prefabricating many of the components at a manufacturing facility many procedures may be used to improve the fabrication efficiencies and quality of the components.
Load bearing prefabricated wall panel components currently in use by the construction industry employ existing technologies including wood, metal, concrete and structural insulated panels with foam plastic cores.
Wood prefabricated load bearing wall panels currently used by the industry are constructed with individual vertical studs of varying depths, widths and thickness, fastened to top and bottom plates with nails or screws. These prefabricated panels are reinforced with outer skins of engineered wood panels, cementitious panels or gypsum drywall panels, fastened with either nails or screws. When delivered to the construction site in this state these prefabricated load bearing wall components are referred to as open panels. Insulation, utilities, interior and exterior finishes are added to these open panels on the construction site. Insulation and interior finishes are sometimes added to the prefabricated panels in the manufacturing facility, in which case these prefabricated load bearing wall components are referred to as closed panels.
Steel prefabricated load bearing wall panels currently used by the industry are constructed with individual vertical studs of varying depths, widths and thickness, fastened to top and bottom plates by screws or welding. These prefabricated panels are reinforced with outer skins of engineered wood panels, cementitious panels, gypsum drywall panels or metal strapping, fastened with screws or welding. When delivered to the construction site in this state these prefabricated load bearing wall components are referred to as open panels. Insulation, utilities, interior and exterior finishes are added to these open panels on the construction site. Insulation and interior finishes are sometimes added to the prefabricated panels in the manufacturing facility, in which case these prefabricated load bearing wall components are referred to as closed panels.
Concrete prefabricated load bearing wall panels currently used by the industry are constructed with individual elements of varying configurations, with a ribbed profile being the most commonly used configuration. These elements are manufactured by casting monolithic components using concrete strengthened with internal metal reinforcing rods or mesh. It is common to incorporate an exterior finish of patterned concrete or stone aggregate into these panels. When delivered to the construction site in this state these prefabricated load bearing wall components are referred to as structural pre-cast concrete elements. Insulation, utilities and interior finishes are added to these pre-cast concrete elements on the construction site.
Prefabricated insulated panels with foam plastic cores currently used by the industry as load-bearing walls are constructed with inner and outer skins of either engineered wood or cementitious sheets adhered to foam plastic cores. These elements are assembled with the use of a separate adhesive in some cases or by use of the foam core material itself as an adhesive. When delivered to the construction site in this state these prefabricated load bearing wall components are referred to as structural insulated panels. It is most common to install utilities, interior and exterior finishes to these panels on the construction site. Though not common, interior and exterior finishes are sometimes installed in the manufacturing facility prior to delivery to the site.
Non-load bearing prefabricated wall panel components currently in use by the construction industry employ existing technologies including steel, concrete and insulated panels with foam plastic cores. These components are generally identified as curtainwalls, and carry only transverse loads.
There are known foam core steel prefabricated curtainwall panels, i.e., non-load bearing panels, currently used by the industry which are constructed with individual vertical studs of varying depths, widths and thickness, fastened to top and bottom plates by screws or welding. These panels have not been considered for use as structure walls because of the deformation that takes place where the temperature difference between the inner and outer wall skins is sufficient to cause deformation of the skins of the panel thereby not worthy of providing axial/dead load carrying capabilities. These prefabricated panels are reinforced with outer skins of engineered wood panels, cementitious panels, gypsum drywall panels or metal strapping, fastened with screws or welding. When delivered to the construction site in this state these curtainwall components are referred to as open panels. Insulation, utilities, interior and exterior finishes are added to these open panels on the construction site.
Concrete curtainwall panels currently used by the industry are constructed with individual elements of varying configurations. These elements are manufactured by casting monolithic components using concrete strengthened with internal metal reinforcing rods or mesh. It is common to incorporate an exterior finish of patterned concrete or stone aggregate into these panels. When delivered to the construction site in this state these curtainwall components are referred to as structural pre-cast concrete elements. Insulation, utilities and interior finishes are added to these pre-cast concrete elements on the construction site.
Prefabricated insulated panels with foam plastic cores currently used by the industry as curtainwall components are constructed with inner and outer skins of painted ribbed, smooth or patterned metal. These elements are assembled with the use of a separate adhesive in some cases or by use of the foam core material itself as an adhesive. When delivered to the construction site in this state these prefabricated curtainwall components are referred to as insulated metal curtainwall panels. The painted exterior skin of these panels is commonly used as an exterior finish material. It is most common to install utilities, interior finishes and sometimes additional insulation to these panels on the construction site.
Load bearing prefabricated wall panel components currently in use by the construction industry rely on existing technologies when using wood, metal or concrete materials. The method of construction for these panels in the manufacturing facility is substantially the same as if these components were constructed in the field, with the only advantages offered by prefabrication being convenient and predictable working environments and varying levels of automation to reduce manual labor. Substantial work at the construction site is still required with these systems for the installation of insulation, interior and exterior finishes. In addition, each of these systems relies on structural elements that provide substantial thermal bridges resulting in excessive energy consumption and excessive movement of individual building elements over time.
Prefabricated insulated panels with foam plastic cores currently used by the industry are the result of manufacturing processes that cannot be duplicated on a construction site, and the more or less continuous nature or characteristic of such panels minimizes the thermal bridging and excessive movement common to other types of prefabricated wall systems. Due to the skin materials and profiles these prefabricated insulated panels require that loads, more specifically dead loads or so-called axial loads, be transferred to both inside and outside skins in generally equal proportions. Also due to the skin materials and profiles there are specific limitations on the combined transverse and axial loads such panels can take.
It would be advantageous to provide a load bearing prefabricated insulative wall panel with a plastic foam core that would carry loads through a ribbed metal interior skin. It would also be advantageous to provide such a panel as a structural panel which is able to carry axial/dead load substantially by the inner skin irrespective of the temperature (xcex94T) between the inside and the outside skins of the panel. The thickness and profile of the interior ribbed metal skin could be varied depending on the load to be carried and the height of the load bearing wall. Such a load-bearing prefabricated insulative panel would offer ease of manufacture, efficient use of materials through composite structural action, superior thermal performance through the elimination of thermal bridging, design flexibility through the thickness and profile variation of the interior metal skin and simplified installation due to the axial load carrying capability of the interior skin without the need for axial load carrying by an outer skin.
The present invention, in its most simple embodiment, is directed to a prefabricated insulated structural panel, having a core material of various types of foam plastic bonded to an interior ribbed metal skin and an exterior skin of any one or combination of suitable exterior materials such as for example wood, fiber glass, cement, or metal. The basic geometry for the combination of the core and skin is preferably, but not necessarily basically rectangular in shape. The edges of the panels are configured to abuttingly match corresponding edges of similarly configured panels when such panels are arranged in edge to edge relationship to form the structure wall of a building. The interior ribbed metal skin, when bonded to and foam backedxe2x80x94where the foam is continuous and flows completely into the cavities or the valleys of the outward facing side as compared to the interiorly facing side of the ribbed panelxe2x80x94and an outward skin bonded to the outer surface of the foam core, all combine to form a structural panel in which the ribbed inner skin will support substantially the entire axial load and the composite panel will support all the live or wind load to which it would be subjected.
A fundamental objective of the invention is to provide prefabricated structural building panels wherein the interior ribbed metal skin, reinforced by the foam plastic core, carries axial loads from building elements such as roof decks, floor systems and/or other individual structural elements such as beams or joists.
A further objective of the invention is to provide prefabricated structural building panels with exterior skins of varying materials serving as exterior finishes or substrate for the application of exterior finishes, and in conjunction with the interior ribbed metal skin and plastic foam core provides a composite structure capable also supporting transverse loads.
A further objective of the invention is to provide prefabricated structural building panels capable of substantially reducing thermal bridging through the use of a continuous plastic foam core.
A further objective of the invention is to provide prefabricated structural building panels that can be tailored to carry specific axial loads through the modification of the thickness of the metal, the spacing from rib-to-rib, and configuration of the ribs of the interior metal skin. The present invention integrates each of these objectives into an invention whose benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a study of the present disclosure of the invention.